Mongol Invasion

No taller than my thigh, the boy with coal-dark eyes swings himself
easily onto my white horse. Feet dangling high above the stirrups, he
gallops along the shore of a frozen lake, turns, rears and dismounts
with a grace that brings to mind his distant ancestorsthe Mongol
warriors who swept across Asia.

Dang. The only thing that came to mind when I rode was the pressing need
for more padding under my duff. But I was happy to be among the few
Westerners who have had a taste of Mongolia, the rocky,...